Soldier refused service at off licence
A HEYSHAM soldier injured in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan was booted out of a Morecambe off licence for wearing his uniform.
Cpl Sam Rae, currently on leave recovering after being hurt in a blast in Helmand Province, stopped off at Lingars corner shop in Albert Road last Friday morning to buy chocolate and crisps.
But on trying to purchase the snacks he was asked, "Are you millitary?" by the shop owner, who then refused to serve him and told him to get out of the shop.
Sam, 27, said: "I kept asking him why and he kept telling me to leave the shop.
"I was a bit shocked. I threw down the crisps and chocolate and walked out because I was angry.
"I'd been in a couple of times before, not in my army gear, and I'd never had any problems."
Sam was wearing his uniform for a photograph at Morecambe Royal Mail delivery office where he was accepting supplies for his army colleagues collected by postal workers.
He was just on his way back home when he stopped at the shop. Arumugam Tharma, who runs the West End shop, reportedly thought serving any personnel in uniform was against licesing laws.
But a spokesman for Lancaster City Council said there were no licensing laws that would prevent a retailer selling items to a soldier in uniform.
Mr Tharma could not be contacted for comment at the time the Lancaster Guardian went to press.
Sam, a Royal Dragoon Guards commander, suffered a fractured vertebrae in his spine after his tank drove over an 80kg bomb in June.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
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